Yukigakure no Shiroi Senko
by NaruIno367
Summary: Naruto, beaten and battered, is found by Ino and Neji. After discussing his treatment, they leave the village to find a better life in Yukigakure with Tsunade as their sensei. First arc: Chunin Exam! Contains: Strong!Naruto, Strong!Ino, Strong!Neji. Pairings: NaruIno, GaaKin, NejiTayu. WARNING: SasuSaku bashing! CHAPTER TWO POLL IN CHAPTER CONCLUSION!
1. Chapter 1 Enter: Naruto Uzumaki

I have startling news for you all: I DON'T OWN NARUTO! How crazy is that?

…..

"So that's how you've been treated all these years?" Ino Yamanaka asked, sadness etched on her beautiful facial features.

"Yeah… it's a hard life, but I somehow managed to make it this far," Naruto Uzumaki replied.

"It's just the opposite of Sasuke's treatment," Neji Hyuga observed. "He is treated as a great person simply because he carries the Uchiha family name. If anyone were to be treated the way he is, I believe you would deserve it for keeping the demon at bay for ten years."

Naruto had been severely beaten by a drunken villager when he ran into Ino. When the platinum blonde showed concern for his injuries, he began to walk with her until they came across Neji, who also showed concern for his health. Naruto explained to them that the villager who had beaten him told him all about his Jinchuuriki status. Soon after his explanation, Ino lost her care for Sasuke and began to resent him. She also began to resent Konoha's major clans-namely, the Uchiha and Hyuga. She was neutral about the Aburame, Nara, and Akimichi, but she hated her own clan-the Yamanaka-since her father and multiple others had told her of the 'Demon Brat' Naruto. Neji had also begun to hate the Hyuga and Uchiha himself. He too was neutral about the minor clans; however, Ino had convinced him not to feel neutral about the Yamanaka.

"That's not the way the rest of Konoha sees it. They would love to see me dead."

"I won't let that happen," Ino spoke up, startling her companions. "We can't just sit around and wait for Naruto-kun's next beating, Neji-san."

Neji nodded in response. Ino turned to Naruto. "We have to do something about this."

"What do you propose we do?" Naruto asked. "We can't exactly leave the village."

Ino's eyebrow rose. "Why can't we? There's nothing holding us back."

"That's true," Neji said. "There are no ties between us and the village."

Naruto lost himself in thought for a moment, before nodding himself. "That's true."

Ino shook Naruto by the shoulders. "What do you say, Naruto-kun?"

When said blonde hesitated, Neji also took him by the shoulders. "This village has no need for someone of your potential, Naruto-san."

The blonde brushed the hands off of him and crossed his arms. "We wouldn't survive a single day out there. We have little to no proper ninja training, and we're kids. We're vulnerable to enemy ninja and wild animals."

Ino smirked. "That's where you're wrong, Naruto-kun. You see, I can get into my clan's Jutsu scroll storage."

"As can I," Neji added. "It is quite easy to access them, also."

"You see, if we can gather as many Jutsu scrolls as possible, we'll learn all we need. And since my family's mind Jutsu aren't limited to a Kekkei-Genkai, anyone can use them."

"So you're suggesting that we steal Jutsu scrolls and run from the village?"

"You've got the hang of this, Naruto-kun. So what do you say?"

Naruto looked down and fiddled with his fingers for a minute before looking back up at Ino and Neji. "I suppose we could try it… what will you tell your parents?"

"I can write a note to my daddy saying I'm doing this of my own free will," Ino said.

"And I can do the same for Hiashi," Neji said.

Naruto thought the plan over and nodded in agreement. "I will go to the library in a _Henge _and steal as many Jutsu scrolls as I possibly can."

Ino and Neji seemed to accept the plan, as they grinned widely. "I'll take some of the fabric and such in the clan storage, also," Ino said.

"If you'd like, I will do the same," Neji said.

Naruto was skeptical at first, but soon warmed up to the idea of leaving Konoha. When the group had split up and decided on a meeting ground, Naruto found his grey backpack, slid it on and put himself in a _Henge _of a young woman with pink hair and grey eyes. He strode to the library, asking where to find scrolls on chakra control, elemental and simple Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, Taijutsu, and Kenjutsu. The librarian gladly pointed him to his destinations, clearly unaware of his disguise. After stealing every scroll in sight, Naruto snuck out, leaving the clueless librarian to her reading.

Neji, who was on the other side of Konoha, had visited the weapon shop owned by the Izumi family. He applied his training and sealed various weapons inside a sealing scroll when the shopkeeper wasn't looking. He snuck out the same as Naruto, smirking on his way back. He reached the Hyuga compound in no time and began to fill his own black backpack with the Main House's _Jyuken _scrolls. When he was finished, he walked nonchalantly to the agreed meeting point.

Ino had easily opened the Yamanaka clan's Jutsu basement, and had stuffed her purple backpack with dozens of scrolls teaching Mind Transfer Jutsu, chakra control, and Flower Style Ninjutsu. She had narrowly avoided Inoichi more times than she would like to mention, but she made it out unseen. Before she left, she made it a point to study herself in the mirror, make a few changes, and admire herself afterward. Just as promised, she had also packed some fabric for the group.

The trio finally met up half an hour later.

When Ino came into sight, Naruto pointed a finger at her. "Ino-chan… you cut your hair!"

It was true; Ino's hair, which once reached halfway down her back, was back to looking the same way it did when she was first admitted into the academy. Her old hairclip was also in place. "Yeah, I did. Is it okay?"

Naruto nodded profusely. "Of course it's fine, Ino-chan. But why did you cut it?"

"The only reason I was growing it out was to try and impress Sasuke. Since I have no affection for the Uchiha, I see no further reason to grow it."

Naruto nodded again, this time in understanding. Neji broke the short silence. "Naruto-san, Ino-san, we have to go now. By now, Hiashi and Inoichi must've found the notes we wrote."

"I almost forgot why we were here!" Ino exclaimed. She pointed to Konoha's gates. "Onward to our new lives!"

Naruto chuckled and Neji stifled a grin as they followed Ino's lead and walked off into the distance. They knew full well that while there would be plenty of hardships in the outside world, there would be just as many positive moments. The next Konoha would see of them would be years to come.

…..

(2 ½ years later)

"So what's going on with Anko lately?" Kotetsu Hagane asked his partner. "You seem a little down."

"Oh, there's nothing going on," Izumo Kamizuki replied. "Really, I'm fine."

"Sorry, but I can't help but wonder what's up with you. You normally aren't this quiet."

Izumo was about to speak, but Kotetsu pointed out into the distance. "Hey, what's that?"

Following the direction his partner was pointing, Izumo could faintly make out three figures in the distance. From the looks of it, two were male while one was female.

"No way… they're back already?"

"What're you talking about? Do you know who they are?"

Izumo nodded. "I think so. That might be Naruto Uzumaki, Ino Yamanaka, and Neji Hyuga over there."

Kotetsu gaped. "The ones who left the village two years ago?"

"Yeah… it would make sense though, wouldn't it?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, today marks the start of the Chunin Exam for starters. And I've heard that they're an official team of a less-known village, so they're eligible to take it."

Kotetsu nodded in understanding. "Do you have any clue which village it is?"

"Some say it's Kusagakure, others say it's Yukigakure… I'm leaning a bit toward Yukigakure."

"Why is that?"

"I don't know… it's just an instinct of sorts."

As the trio got closer to the village, the pair got a better-defined look at them. The boy on the left appeared to be the tallest, and by his eyes they could tell he was a Hyuga. He had waist-length dark brown hair that hung loosely over his back. The carving on his hitai-ate couldn't be seen since it was covered by his hair, but they could tell it was black and had two straps framing his face-one with a metal square at the end, the other without. He donned a grey long-sleeved turtleneck shirt with a low bottom hem and two slits running up the sides, a white vest closely resembling a Konoha Chunin's, a pair of loose white pants, black ninja sandals with grey zippers running up the middle of each, and bindings on his legs and left hand. By the looks of it, he carried no weapons.

The other boy to the Hyuga's right was considerably shorter than him, and had blonde hair of almost the same length as his, which covered the majority of his left eye. His exposed eye was a deep shade of blue. He wore a high-collared shirt with long sleeves and a zipper ending halfway down his torso, exposing a Shiki Fujin seal on his abdomen. He had on loose white ribbed shorts that came down below his knees. A black hitai-ate was visible on his waist, the engraving of Yukigakure only visible because of the split on his shirt. He also wore a pair of black sandals with a single strap running across each foot to keep them on. The weapon on his back-which was tied on with a white string-resembled an oversized fan with black bordering.

The lone Kunoichi's platinum blonde reached just below her jaws, with two bangs framing her face and a white hairclip on the right side. She had pupil-less green eyes and a very attractive face. She wore a white kimono with light gray borders, reaching her knees and the sleeves slightly oversized. Rather than an obi, she had a darker gray sash. Her black hitai-ate-which also had the Yukigakure symbol on it-was around her neck. On her feet was a pair of white and black sandals (A/N: Flip-flops with a white base and black strap) that seemed to have little traction. A simple katana was on her right side, tucked inside her sash.

"Looks like them alright," Kotetsu said. "And those hitai-ate are definitely from Yukigakure."

Izumo nodded. "What can we do for you guys?" he asked cheerfully, knowing full well the answer.

The Kunoichi smiled. "Well, we're here for the Chunin Exam of course."

"Very well, what are your names?"

"My name's Ino Yamanaka. My blonde friend here is Naruto Uzumaki and my Hyuga friend is Neji Hyuga of the Branch House."

"What about your Jonin sensei?" Kotetsu asked.

"Tsunade Senju."

Kotetsu and Izumo gasped and nearly fainted. "Tsunade… the legendary Sannin?"

Ino nodded. "That's right."

"I thought she wasn't accepting anyone as her students, let alone a whole team!" Izumo managed.

"In our case, it was different," Neji explained. "We found her in Yukigakure and after some persistence she agreed to be our Jonin sensei."

Izumo, who was still fuzzy from finding out the team's sensei, allowed Kotetsu to take the lead. "Well, where is Tsunade-sama?"

"She's in Konoha already. We have her signature, if you need it," Ino said, handing the pair a card with Tsunade's signature written in the middle. Kotetsu took it, nodded, and handed it back to her.

"It's legit. You guys can pass through."

When Kotetsu was about to leave to open the gates for them, Naruto put an arm in front of him with a smile. He reluctantly stepped back and watched as the quiet blonde strode over to the gates himself and stuck his hand out in a position to flick them. When Izumo was about to interject and tell him the gates were made of iron and chakra reinforced wood, Naruto flicked the gates, sending them flying open.

Obviously unfazed by the display of sheer strength, Ino and Neji followed Naruto into Konoha. Kotetsu and Izumo looked on, their eyes threatening to pop out of their sockets. They turned to one another.

"How can someone with such a feminine figure and so little muscle be so freaking strong?" Izumo stuttered.

"W-well, their sensei _is _Tsunade-sama…" Kotetsu replied.

Izumo turned back to the gates as the trio made their way into the village and shivered.

"And that flick wasn't even reinforced with chakra…"

…..

Naruto had to drown a snort when he walked back into his old village. One would think he would be happy to be within his old village's walls once more.

To say that he was uncomfortable would be a gross understatement.

Ino put a comforting hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Don't worry about this; we'll be out of here as soon as the exam is over, I promise."

Naruto smiled a little. "Thanks, Ino-chan."

Neji pointed up ahead. "Hey, isn't that Konohamaru Sarutobi?"

Looking forward, Naruto and Ino saw the Sandaime Hokage's grandson Konohamaru being suspended in the air by someone clad in a black bodysuit. He appeared to have a teammate with blonde hair tied in four ponytails with a similar weapon to Naruto's own. To Konohamaru's right, Moegi, Udon, and Sakura Haruno watched on in shock, none of them doing anything to stop him.

"What do you think is going on, Naruto-kun?" Ino asked. She looked to her side to see Naruto had disappeared. "Neji-san, where did Naruto-kun go?"

Neji, who had been watching on with minor interest, looked to where Naruto had been standing to see nothing but air. "I don't know… I wonder where he went."

Ino swooned. "He's probably going to do something heroic!"

Neji pinched the bridge of his nose. "Please don't start that, Ino-san…"

"Let me go!" Konohamaru pleaded.

"Why would I do something like that when a little squirt just ran into me like that?" said the boy in the black jumpsuit.

"Come on Kankuro, you don't want _him _to see you doing this, do you?" asked his blonde teammate.

"Temari, he's not even here!"

"Let him go!" Sakura cried. "He's just a kid, and it wasn't even his fault!"

"I don't care how old he is and whose fault it was, I'm going to have some fun," the newly identified Kankuro replied.

"Drop him," a voice behind him said. Turning around, he saw a boy with long blonde hair holding a kunai up to Temari's neck. "Or your pretty friend gets it."

Kankuro snarled and dropped Konohamaru. As soon as he was on the ground, Moegi, Udon, and Konohamaru himself were running in the opposing direction.

"Now was that so hard?" Naruto asked, withdrawing his kunai. "I don't think your friend up there would've been too happy if you held him any longer."

When the blonde motioned to the tree they were standing near to, Kankuro and Temari looked up in horror.

The figure in the tree's eyes widened momentarily, but soon went back to normal. The figure turned to Kankuro. "You are an embarrassment to Suna."

Kankuro bowed his head in defeat.

"It-it's not what you think, Gaara… he just acted on a whim, is all!" Temari stuttered.

The newly named Gaara appeared in front of Naruto in a swirl of sand, startling everyone but Naruto himself.

"You could sneak up behind Temari with such ease," Gaara said in an eerie monotone voice. "What is your name?"

Naruto looked at Gaara with an equally cold face. "Isn't it a bit rude to ask for a name before giving your own?"

Gaara frowned for a split second before returning to his normal state. "Gaara Sabakuno… and my sister Temari and brother Kankuro."

Naruto nodded. "I recognize you. You're all from Suna."

Temari's eyes widened. "You… recognize us?"

"Never mind that, my name is Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze and that's Ino Yamanaka and Neji Hyuga. I'm also the son of a Yondaime Kage. It's a pleasure to finally meet the one-tailed Jinchuuriki."

"You… know of the Shukaku?"

"Of course I do. Who doesn't?" Naruto said, starting to walk off with Ino and Neji behind him.

"Wait, how did you know it was him?"

Naruto continued walking. "Us Jinchuuriki have a sort of telepathic communication line. When another is around, we can sense it. You of all people should know that."

"Hold on just a moment!"

Everyone's attention turned to the source of the loud outburst.

"Ino, why are you hanging around with that loser Naruto? What's with that weird headband? Why does everyone want to know about Naruto, and _what the hell is a Jinchuuriki_?" Sakura shouted, causing everyone but Naruto and Gaara to cover their ears.

Ino decided to answer her. "One: I came to my senses about him and Sasuke. Two: I'm part of Yukigakure. Three: Because Naruto is quite possibly at Jonin level right now. And four: You'll find out if the Hokage wants you to."

"What're you guys doing here anyway?" the pink banshee squealed. "Three of you are from Suna and another three are from some weird country!"

Temari held up a pass given to her by Kotetsu and Izumo. "We're here for the Chunin Exam, stupid."

"What the hell is a Chunin Exam?"

Naruto, who had gotten tired of Sakura's screeching, appeared behind her in a flash of white, and hit her on the back of the neck with the end of his weapon. "Honestly, some people's kids…"

Neji rubbed his temples along with Temari and Kankuro. "Thank you _so _much, Naruto-san."

Temari snapped out of her annoyed position to point an accusing finger at Naruto. "You said you were the son of the Yondaime Hokage?"

Naruto tilted his head to the left, making Temari blush slightly. "That shouldn't be a huge surprise; after all you're the daughter of the Yondaime Kazekage."

Before Temari could rant any more, Naruto whizzed past her in another white flash. She felt her hair to see that all four of her ponytails had been taken off. She looked at Naruto strangely. "Just _who _are you?"

Naruto, Ino, and Neji smirked. "I'm Yukigakure's White Flash."

….

**And another story for me to abandon. How cool is that?**

**PLEASE REVIEW FOR THE BROWN-HAIRED ADOLESCENT AND ASPIRING KUNOICHI (yeah, right…)!**

**Ciao! ~NaruIno367**


	2. Chapter 2 The Chunin Exam Part I

I still don't own Naruto… sorry.

…..

The Chunin Exam was much easier than Ino could've anticipated. She, Neji, and Naruto had easily figured out the objective to the written exam, and had played along with Ibiki's plan to weed the weaklings out. However, even with their efforts there were too many teams. Anko had stated that he had passed something like sixty teams that year, and that they'd have to do a preliminary matchup to get the standard amount of teams if it kept up.

After some very awkward sadistic talk, Anko released all of the Genin into the Forest of Death.

Team Tsunade managed to nab quite a few scrolls to eliminate the competition. So far, they'd taken a scroll from a Kusa team, two Ame teams, three Konoha teams, a Kiri team, and two Kumo teams. Ino had wanted to take a scroll from one or two Iwa teams, but none had participated in the exam. After a too-close encounter with the Suna team, Team Tsunade headed for the tower to hopefully set a record.

On their way, they came across a familiar team from Konoha: Team Kakashi. The Uchiha had been injured by a mysterious competitor and had been placed in a hiding spot for treatment from Sakura. Their other teammate was nowhere to be found, as said pink-haired Kunoichi had completely forgotten about him to take care of Sasuke, which disgusted Team Tsunade greatly.

Just as the team was about to leave, Sakura was confronted by a Sound team consisting of Kin Tsuchi, Dosu Kinuta, and Zaku Abumi. Despite her better judgment, Ino stepped in front of her before any permanent damage could've been done. Thanks to Ino, only Kin was able to escape. Dosu and Zaku had fallen victim to one of her favorite Jutsu. She received numerous thanks from Sakura, to which she brushed off to find Naruto and Neji. When she finally found them, they were standing near a familiar face from the written exam: Kabuto Yakushi. Team Tsunade had a rather interesting encounter with him before the Forest of Death…

(Flashback)

"_And just who are you, exactly?" Ino questioned. Her team had come across a strange man with silver hair, who offered to give them information on anyone in the room._

"_I'm Kabuto Yakushi," was his reply. "Can I give you any information?"_

"_Well," Neji started. "I'd like to know about Hinata Hyuga, if you've got anything on her."_

"_And maybe something on Gaara Sabakuno, too," Naruto added._

"_Sakura Haruno, if you can find anything," Ino requested._

_Before Kabuto could reveal any information on the Genin, Sasuke stepped forward. "I want to know about Naruto Uzumaki, Neji Hyuga, and Ino Yamanaka."_

_Sasuke received some odd looks, but ignored them. Kabuto turned a card over, revealing Hinata's picture and statistics. He turned it back around and began to read it off._

"_Hinata Hyuga of the Main House… fairly proficient in the Jyuken-style Taijutsu and simple Ninjutsu, but her Genjutsu seems to be lacking. She doesn't have much strength, but she's fairly swift and intelligent."_

_Kabuto flipped to another card. "Gaara of the Desert, full name Gaara Sabakuno. Has the ability to manipulate sand. He doesn't have too good Taijutsu, but he's got pretty good Ninjutsu. Next up is Sakura Haruno. She has no outstanding skills and no Kekkei-Genkai. The only thing she seems to be good at is chakra control. Next is Neji Hyuga of the Branch House, also known as the Cotton Weaver of Yukigakure. His Genjutsu, Taijutsu, and Ninjutsu are off the charts for a Genin, and he's fairly intelligent. His natural strength seems to be lacking, though he makes up for it with high Jonin speed and proficient hand seals. Second to last is Naruto Uzumaki, the White Flash of Yukigakure. It seems he earned the nickname by using a modified version of the Fourth Hokage's _Hiraishin no Jutsu_. His Ninjutsu is high Chunin to low Jonin level, and his Taijutsu and Genjutsu are both mid-Chunin level. He's got middle to high Jonin level strength while his speed and stamina could rival a Kage's. Lastly is Ino Yamanaka, a.k.a. the Flower Diviner of Yukigakure. She's got exceptional Taijutsu and Genjutsu, but low Chunin level Ninjutsu. Her strength is only slightly lower than Naruto's, though her speed appears to be Genin level. She's also the smartest person in her group."_

"_How did you obtain this information on us?" Ino asked suspiciously._

_Before Kabuto could respond, Ibiki announced the start of the written exam section of the Chunin Exam. _

(Flashback End)

After some small talk, Ino convinced her teammates that they needed to leave. The speed they fled at left even Kabuto slightly disoriented. Soon after Team Tsunade was in the tower, Team Baki arrived, making a close second. When the rest of them had left, Temari called Naruto over to have a word with her.

"You're Naruto Uzumaki, right?" she questioned.

"Yes, that's me," Naruto answered. "You're Temari Sabakuno. What's up?"

"I want to know how you know about Gaara and Shukaku."

"That's pretty simple when you think about it."

"How so?"

"Well, I'm sure you know that there are nine Jinchuuriki and Biju, each one being stronger than the last, correct?"

Temari shook her head. "There are nine? I thought there was only one…"

"No, there are nine in total. I know each of their names, Jinchuuriki and Biju alike. Gaara has Shukaku, Yugito Nii has Matatabi, the Fourth Mizukage Yagura used to have Isobu, Roshi has Son Goku, Han has Kokuo, Utakata has Saiken, Fu has Chomei, Kirabi has Gyuki, and I have Kurama."

"Wait a moment… you're a Jinchuuriki?" Temari asked, startled at the revelation. "How are you… sane?"

"Because my seal is much stronger than Gaara's. Listen Temari, you can't tell anyone else the Biju's names, or they'll revolt."

"Why not? And why did you tell me?"

"I'm not quite sure what is so special about their names, but I met Chomei in the past, and he told me that only a few select people are to know their names. I can tell you because Kurama told me I could. He said something about only telling people with previous experiences with them, such as you."

Temari nodded in surprised understanding. "So you can communicate with the Biju in your body? How does that work?"

"I can enter my mindscape through meditation to where Kurama is. Once I'm there it's pretty easy to talk to him. When I'm done, I just 'wake up', as if I was in a dream."

"Interesting… why can't Gaara do something like this?"

"It's because his seal is much weaker than mine is," Naruto responded. "Mine has the beast sealed so well that there's nearly no chance of him escaping without my help. Don't worry though; I wouldn't let him out unless I really have to."

Temari shuddered at the thought of Kurama going loose. "Well, at least that's cleared up. Where can I meet these other Jinchuuriki?"

"They're all over the world. I'll tell you where some of them are after the Chunin Exam if you tell me a little about Wind Jutsu. Do we have a deal?"

Temari seemed surprised for a moment, but nodded. "Looks like we've got a deal, Naruto-san."

Naruto and Temari walked back to their teams, who were waiting impatiently. Ino, on the other hand, was glaring daggers at Temari while holding onto Naruto's arm possessively. A couple days later, the teams that had collected their scrolls finally showed up at the tower. Luckily, Ino had managed to steal Kabuto's scroll when he wasn't looking, so he was out of the picture. The teams remaining from Konoha were Team Kurenai, Team Asuma, Team Kakashi (surprisingly, Ino thought), and Team Gai. Team Tsunade and Team Baki had also passed, obviously. A team from Ame and another from Kiri also remained. Anko decided that a preliminary matchup was indeed needed.

When the stadium had finally been set up and all the seats were filled, Tsunade met her team in the waiting area. Tsunade, being a master healer, disobeyed the rules and healed each of her students, much to their relief. Luckily, no one noticed. The proctor, Hayate Geko, explained the rules and set up the computer to match competitors. First up:

**Sasuke Uchiha vs. Hinata Hyuga**

Naruto and Neji looked at the board in slight amusement. Even Ino, who had had little to no contact with Hinata, knew Sasuke was bound to win.

When the competitors made their way to the arena, Hayate called the match with a few coughs in between. Hinata stepped clumsily into her Jyuken stance while Sasuke merely stood on with amusement written all over his face. Ino scowled at the sight.

Hinata executed her 32-palm attack shakily, to which Sasuke dodged easily. When Hinata was done, Sasuke caught her hand and threw her against the arena wall, knocking her out cold. Neji shook his head in disappointment while Naruto and Ino looked on with concern for Hinata and hatred for Sasuke. Hayate stepped forward, barely holding back a grimace at the Uchiha.

"Winner: Sasuke Uchiha," he nearly spat. The onlookers in the stadium clapped while the other competitors-with the exception of Sakura, who was cheering-grimaced.

While the medical ninja took Hinata to the hospital, Hayate turned around to observe the second match:

**Ryu Ogura vs. Lee Roku**

When the competitors met in the arena, Team Tsunade recognized Ryu to be Team Kakashi's third member, whom Sakura had abandoned in the Forest of Death. He was quite a looker in Ino's opinion. However, she noted he could never give Naruto a run for his ryo.

Hayate called the match to begin, and both Ryu and Lee got in the same stance, much to everyone's surprise. The only ones able to view the fight to its fullest were the Jonin senseis: Kurenai Yuhi, Kakashi Hatake, Asuma Sarutobi, Gai Maito, and Tsunade herself. Ino, Neji, and Naruto could see the fight fine, but not as well as the Jonin could. Sakura was too busy hanging off of Sasuke to bother to watch her teammate fight, which made Ino wonder why they were even friends in the first place.

After a fight that seemed to last hours, Lee came out victorious only because Ryu surrendered, claiming that Lee deserved to advance while he did not. Hayate called the match, all while staring at Ryu in admiration.

"Winner: Lee Roku!"

Once again, the computer flashed through a full list of names before stopping at the third match.

**Tenten Izumi vs. Temari Sabakuno**

Even before the match started, Team Tsunade could tell that the Suna Kunoichi had already won the match.

Tenten tried her hardest, sending weapons flying from her varying summoning scrolls only to be deflected by Temari's iron fan. Frustrated, Tenten used a move she'd been hoping to save for the finals: _Rising Twin Dragons_. Placing two scrolls on the ground, she whipped through some hand seals, sending two twin dragons into the air with a puff of smoke. The dragons turned out to be the scrolls, much to Ino's surprise. Tenten began to summon various weapons and throw them straight toward Temari, who easily deflected them with the iron fan.

"I'm not done!" Tenten claimed, leaping into the air.

Once she was high enough, she revealed that she had attached hidden wires to each of the weapons and pulled them up with her. She flung them at Temari with high speed. However, the Suna Kunoichi opened her fan fully and swung, sending both Tenten and her weapons to the ground-hard.

When she stood up, Tenten saw that Temari had disappeared. She spotted her in the air, sitting atop her fan. When she touched the ground, Temari swung yet again at Tenten, creating a whirlwind controlled by her chakra. Neji noted that Tenten couldn't possibly hope to escape it.

Said brown-haired Kunoichi nearly broke her spine when she fell on top of Temari's fan. Kankuro and Gaara looked on emotionlessly while Team Tsunade scowled at their barbaric means of fighting. Hayate sighed and stepped forward.

"Winner: Temari Sabakuno."

Temari attempted to throw Tenten from her fan to have her land on the weapons, but Ino caught her before she could hit the ground. She laid her down gently and stepped in front of her protectively.

"What's up with you?" Ino questioned in a loud voice. "She may have lost, but that's no way to treat someone who's done her best!"

Temari hit the ground with her fan, causing the dirt to crack slightly. "Oh please, just beat it. Take that sack of garbage with you, while you're at it."

Ino scowled, but decided against attacking her, as it would show her skill in fighting. Rather, she chose to carry Tenten back up to the stadium to receive treatment from Tsunade and Neji. While Tenten was being transported to the stadium by said Kunoichi and Shinobi, the fourth match was called.

**Kankuro Sabakuno vs. Kiba Inuzuka**

Ino wasn't surprised when the match started. She had predicted that Kiba would easily be poisoned and would have to leave the match. If she remembered correctly, he was the second loudest person in the class next to Sakura.

Sure enough, Kiba was too busy looking around him to look up… or down, for that matter. Before he could react, two strings of poison shot from the air and from the dirt, coating him in a gross-looking purple goop.

Kiba keeled over, foaming at the mouth slightly. Medics took him away while Kankuro strode back to his team, saying something about a clean sweep.

Hayate coughed a few times. "Winner: Kankuro Sabakuno."

The fifth match came through when he finished a coughing fit.

**Shino Aburame vs. Gaara Sabakuno**

As soon as the match was announced, Shino raised his hand.

"I forfeit," he said. "I would die if I fought him."

Hayate nodded and crossed him off of the finals list. The sixth match finally showed up.

**Shizu Iko vs. Renji Iwakura**

Hayate rolled his eyes when Renji raised his hand. Neji noticed that he was on Gai's team alongside Tenten and Lee.

"I refuse to fight a Kunoichi," he said. "It's not in my nature."

An Ame Kunoichi Neji assumed to be Shizu growled. "Some man you are…" she muttered.

The proctor crossed Renji off of the finals list and signaled the seventh match to be called up.

**Choji Akimichi vs. Karenbana Hoshino **

Choji eagerly stepped into the arena while Karenbana-who was apparently from Kiri-calmly walked to the middle, her long auburn hair flowing behind her. Ino smirked as she knew how hard it was to keep hair clean when it was that long.

Hayate called the match and Choji immediately charged at Karenbana, who stood still as a rock. Choji attempted to punch her with an expanded fist, which she counterattacked with her own punch, sending him into the wall of the arena. After checking him for consciousness, the medical ninja took Choji away to the hospital while Hayate smiled lightly at Karenbana.

"Winner: Karenbana Hoshino."

Said Kiri Kunoichi curtseyed and returned to her team while the eighth and final match was decided.

**Yuki Hoshino vs. Yuri Terumi**

Team Tsunade was surprised to see the last name of the Fifth Mizukage on the board. Tsunade narrowed her eyes momentarily, but went back to healing Tenten's wounds alongside Neji.

A Shinobi that Ino assumed to be Yuki stepped into the arena first. He looked the same as Karenbana, but was dressed slightly different and had much shorter hair. Yuri showed up next, and looked to be bored out of her mind. Yuki had no hitai-ate, but Yuri had the Kiri hitai-ate on her arm.

The match only lasted a few minutes, as Yuki only used Katon Ninjutsu while Yuri was a heavy user of Suiton Ninjutsu. After some Jutsu trading, Yuki raised his hand and forfeited. Hayate crossed him off of the finals list and summoned the remaining competitors to the middle to pick out some numbers. Once everyone had a number, Hayate asked for their numbers for the finals.

"One!" Lee cheered.

"Six," Temari groaned.

"Three," Sakura said, fiddling with her fingers. "I hope I'm not fighting Sasuke-kun because…"

"Five," Naruto interrupted, blocking Sakura's futile attempts to punch him.

"Nine," Neji read.

"Looks like I have two," Shizu observed.

"Four," Ino said, smirking at the pale Sakura.

"Seven," Shikamaru said, yawning.

"Thirteen…" came the monotone voice of Gaara.

"Fourteen," Sasuke read, smirking at the chance to fight Gaara.

"Ten," Karenbana said.

"Eight," Kin said, still shaken slightly from Ino's attack earlier.

"Twelve," Karenbana said with a grin.

"I guess I'm eleven, then," Kankuro sighed.

After some scribbling, Hayate turned his paper around to show the aspiring Chunin.

**1****st**** Match: Lee Roku vs. Shizu Iko**

**2****nd**** Match: Sakura Haruno vs. Ino Yamanaka**

**3****rd**** Match: Naruto Uzumaki vs. Temari Sabakuno**

**4****th**** Match: Shikamaru Nara vs. Kin Tsuchi**

**5****th**** Match: Neji Hyuga vs. Karenbana Hoshino**

**6****th**** Match: Kankuro Sabakuno vs. Yuri Terumi**

**7****th**** Match: Sasuke Uchiha vs. Gaara Sabakuno.**

Sasuke groaned. "Can't I be sooner? Like, maybe the third match rather than the seventh?"

Hayate frowned. "Of course not, your match has already been placed. I'm not changing it."

Ino shook her head. "Honestly, just because you're the so-called 'Last Uchiha' doesn't mean everyone is on their knees bowing to you, ready to receive commands."

Sakura tried to hit Ino over the head, but missed just as badly as she missed Naruto. Hayate held her back and looked at Ino empathically. She nodded back and Hayate let Sakura go.

"I want you all to come back in a month ready for your matches. I would recommend plenty of extra training," Hayate explained, walking off. The Genin wandered off to wherever it was they were going. Neji left in search of Tsunade, Naruto followed Gaara and his team with Kin on his heels, and Ino ran toward Hayate.

"Hey, I've heard of you," Ino said, causing Hayate to turn around. "You're renowned as one of the best Kenjutsu users in Konoha, right?"

"Yes, I suppose that's true," Hayate admitted. "Why, do you need something?"

"It's about the Chunin Exam. I was wondering if you'd be my teacher for the month."

"That depends on how much skill you've got. How much training in Kenjutsu have you had?"

"A fair amount in my opinion. I'm considered the best Genin with Kenjutsu in Yuki and I've already got a katana. What do you say?"

Hayate appeared to be in deep thought before he smiled at Ino. "I suppose I could handle an apprentice."

Ino's face lit up. "If you're going to be my sensei, you'll need to see Tsunade first."

"Why is that?"

"You'll need to get rid of that nasty cold of yours if you're to teach me to the fullest!" Ino exclaimed, taking Hayate by the sleeve and leading him to Tsunade.

…..

Meanwhile, Naruto had caught up with Team Baki and had been spotted by Temari, who told the rest of the group that they were being followed. The team turned around to face Naruto.

"What do you want, Naruto-san?" Temari inquired.

Naruto smirked. "Well, Temari-san… I was hoping to have a word with Gaara for a minute… alone."

Kankuro and Temari looked at Baki, who nodded and led the group away from Gaara and Naruto.

Silence followed their departure, but it didn't seem to bother either one of the Shinobi. Kin finally caught up to Naruto to find her eyes locked with Gaara's.

"You're Gaara, Shukaku's Jinchuuriki," Kin observed. She turned to Naruto. "Giving him a pep talk, are we?"

In the Forest of Death, Naruto had come across Kin via Wind Clone during his meeting with Temari. Kin had instantly warmed up to Naruto, and had gone so far as to call him a friend. She knew that Ino had a crush on him, so she didn't bother to flirt, but merely spoke with him. Naruto offered to help Kin with her training during the finals, which she happily accepted.

"Getting to it," Naruto replied. "Say Gaara, what do you know about the word 'love'?"

…..

When Ino and Hayate met up with Tsunade, Neji had talked her into being his sensei during the month. After some congratulations, Tsunade agreed to help Hayate with his cold. She easily cured it, and Hayate found that moving was much easier when he wasn't sick. When he and Ino departed for training, Tsunade led Neji to their own training ground Tsunade had managed to talk the Hokage into giving to them for the finals.

"So what kind of Jutsu are you looking to learn, Neji-kun?" Tsunade inquired.

"Well, I was hoping to learn some more medical Ninjutsu as well as basic Genjutsu. I'm not worried about Taijutsu and Jyuken too much, but they would come in handy, so why not?" Neji explained. "If you don't mind, I'd also like to have a Creation Rebirth seal placed on me as well."

"Ha, you take after me, Neji-kun. Alright, I'll make sure you're the best medic in the Chunin Exam."

…..

Before Naruto met up with Gaara's team, he sent out two Wind Clones to search for two people: Mei Terumi and Kakashi Hatake. The first clone found Mei about to leave Konoha. When her name was called, she found herself face-to-face with a flawless Wind Clone.

"Have we met before?" Mei questioned.

"Not quite," Naruto's clone answered. "My name's Naruto Uzumaki, I'm from Yukigakure. You're the Mizukage, Mei Terumi, correct?"

Mei nodded. "Do you need something?"

Naruto grinned. "You're not the Mizukage for nothing, I'd like you to do me a favor… well, it's a favor for both Kin and I."

"Oh? And what would this favor be?"

"Kin and I have yet to find a sensei for the Chunin Exam finals. What better candidate to do so than the great Mei Terumi?"

"Ah, the great Mei Terumi? I must say I like that. However, I wish to know something."

"Ask me anything and I will answer the best I can, Mizukage-sama."

"Why should I train you and this 'Kin' for the Chunin Exam? Why not someone else?"

"Because we hand-picked you from an unbelievably large group of eligible senseis. We could have gone for Tsunade-sensei, Hokage-sama, Kakashi-senpai, or even the Kazekage-sama, but we picked you."

Mei nodded and turned her head in deep thought. She liked the idea of Naruto and Kin picking her from that group of people, but she didn't know if she was up for an apprentice. She came to the conclusion that Naruto and his friend were definitely worth her time. She grinned and put a hand on Naruto's clone's head, ruffling his hair slightly.

"Lead me to your friend Kin and we'll start the training in Kiri."

…..

Naruto's second Wind Clone found Kakashi searching for Sasuke. Luckily, he had no such luck. Naruto tapped him on the shoulder.

"Kakashi-senpai, I need a word with you."

Kakashi turned around and dropped his book. "Minato-sensei…"

Naruto shook his head. "I'm sorry, but tou-san has been dead for thirteen years."

Kakashi's visible eye widened. "You're… Naruto?"

"Yep, that's me! Listen Kakashi-senpai, you can't train Sasuke for the exam."

"And why exactly is that?"

"Because if you do, he'll use it the wrong way."

"What makes you say that?"

"I saw him receive the Cursed Seal of Heaven from Orochimaru in disguise in the Forest of Death. He seemed to lose control over himself. Now, before you go thinking 'I'll just get rid of the seal and I can train him', please hear me out. Training Sasuke will _not _be a favor to Obito. Rather, it will most likely lead to the destruction of Konoha and beyond. I can let you train him, but promise me one thing: _Do not teach him Chidori_. If you do, he will have a head start on destroying the Shinobi world."

"Why don't you have faith in Sasuke? And how do you know about Obito?"

"I told you I was Minato's brat, right? It's only natural I'd know a little about his students. I don't have faith in Sasuke because he's hell-bent on getting back at his brother for sacrificing the clan for Konoha. You heard it yourself: It's his dream to kill Itachi-niisan. He will do whatever it takes to get power to do so, even revolt against Konoha itself. With a taste of the power of the Cursed Seal of Heaven, Sasuke is at risk of running off to join Orochimaru, and I'm sure you know what'll happen if he does so."

Kakashi was stunned. He never thought that maybe training Sasuke wasn't a good idea. He was so insistent on paying Obito back that he had forgotten that Sasuke was an avenger. It only made sense that Sasuke would be a threat to Konoha. Then, something caught his attention. "Wait, why did you call Sasuke's brother 'Itachi-niisan'?"

"It's a story that'd take too much time. I have to go now, my chakra is depleting. Remember what I said: Do not teach him the Chidori."

With that, Naruto's clone dissipated into the air, leaving a conflicted Kakashi behind.

…..

"Do you understand now, Gaara?" Kin inquired, studying Gaara's facial expressions in awe. It was the first time she had seen him show any emotion, and quite frankly it was cute.

Gaara nodded in response, still stunned from the revelation. "So… that's what a friend is…"

"You see now?" Naruto said, not quite asking. "You have a better purpose than this. You can amount to so much more than this. I'll tighten your seal so that Shukaku can't influence you, if you'll let me."

Kin walked toward Gaara. "I have a proposal for you. Rather than returning to Suna to be brainwashed by that damn Kazekage of yours, why don't you come to Kiri with us to train with the Mizukage?"

Gaara blinked. Had he been brainwashed by the Kazekage? "You'd… tolerate me?"

"Tolerate you?" Kin repeated. "Come on, friends don't tolerate each other-they watch out for each other."

"You are… my friends?"

"Sure we are, Gaara!" Naruto exclaimed. "What do you say? Are you coming to Kiri with us?"

Gaara looked to the side, studying an interesting lotus. "Would I be cared for?"

"Of course you'd be cared for. No one would recognize you in Kiri."

"And no one will attempt to assassinate me?"

"Not unless you do something horrible like steal the Mizukage's assistant's cat. If you do that, you're pretty much screwed."

"How will I be sure that I won't kill someone due to mo… Shukaku's… influence?"

"Like I said before, I'll tighten that seal of yours."

Gaara turned to Naruto, who had his hand out. "Do we have a deal?"

Kin nodded in approval. "Come on Gaara, it'll be better than Suna."

Said Jinchuuriki took Naruto's hand. "We have a deal."

…..

Ten minutes later, Mei showed up alongside Naruto's clone, which dissipated once the three were in Mei's sight range. Needless to say, she was surprised to see Gaara with Naruto and whom she assumed to be Kin.

"Hey, hey, Naruto, I thought you said just you and Kin needed training," Mei stated, looking at Gaara questionably.

"There's been a slight change of plan… I forgot to mention that Gaara would be most likely coming along with us."

Mei sighed. "That's fine, I guess. We're heading for Kiri, correct?"

"That's correct, Mei-sensei!" Kin chimed.

"Well then, let's head over. You guys can tell me about yourselves on the way there."

Kin and Naruto skipped along with Mei walking ahead of them, leaving Gaara walking slowly behind them. For once, he didn't feel like the outcast. For once, he was speaking to people who weren't afraid of him. For once, he was accepted as a normal person.

For once, he felt wanted.

…..

**Maa, I forgot to mention a few things in my summary.**

**1: Yes, Neji-kun is a healer. I didn't want Ino to be the healer because that' canon, and Naruto's definitely not the healer, so that just leaves Neji-kun.**

**2: Hayate is going to live through the Chunin Exam this time around. Suna's probably not going to invade Konoha, but Oto is most likely going to try before they're all killed.**

**3: The Kazekage in this is NOT Orochimaru-teme. Rather, he'll use the same canon disguise he used during the prelims in the anime/manga.**

**4: The Mizukage was in Konoha for the Chunin Exam, unlike in the canon anime/manga. I've always liked Naruto to be trained by Mei, so I decided to write a fanfiction including it myself. (If you know of any good F.F.'s that Naruto's trained by Mei, I'm all ears.)**

**So, what did you guys think? Hearts coming out of your eyes or daggers coming out of your eyes? Tell me with a review!**

**Jiraiya may or may not play a role in the story, but I'm leaning towards yes just to be consistent with the Legendary Sannin. **

**LISTEN UP! I need some answers from you guys. Do you want me to:**

**A: Kill off Sakura**

**B: Kill off Sasuke**

**C: Kill off Sasuke and Sakura**

**D: Leave them alone**

**Answer me in a review if you please! It'll only take a few moments to jot down your opinion then you'll be on your merry way.**

**Pairings (Can be changed later on if people ask me to.): Naruto x Ino, Neji x Yuri, Gaara x Kin. If you guys want more pairings, I'm all ears. UNLESS it is one of the following: Gaara x Matsuri, Gaara x Sakura, Gaara x Ino, Sasuke x Sakura, Sasuke x Ino, Sasuke x Tenten, Sasuke x Hinata, Neji x Tenten, Neji x Sakura, Naruto x Sakura, Naruto x Hinata. **** It's not that I don't like NaruHina; it's just that it doesn't fit with the story. Besides, it's going to be NaruIno.**

**Ciao! ~NaruIno367**


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